If I was president I would have not needed a briefing. I would have told the DoD to take care of it any way they thought best and then tell them to get on it.
I agree. I would have simply given them a policy statement to follow and that would be "America doesn't negotiate with terrorists."
The military needs clear orders. The president (or whatever the druggie in our White House deserves to be called) can ask for recommendations, but he needs to give an order ... which can be a standing order. I'd like rules of engagement that give the military orders to "take the shot" whenever an American is kidnapped by pirates and the opportunity is present, since the act of kidnapping as part of piracy implies an immediate danger to the lives of the hostages, but there needs to be guidance from the commander-in-chief, or in this case from the community-organizer-in-chief.